www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

President Hugo Chavez Frias' Movimiento Quinta Republica (MVR) party is to send statements to the governments of Colombia, the United States and Spain to explain in a detailed fashion the fundamental legal principles of the Venezuelan judiciary's autonomous action with respect to the detention of Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Fedecamaras) president Carlos Fernandez and the order to arrest Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) chief Carlos Ortega. 

"We think there is a certain degree of confusion with regard to the statements that were published by government spokesmen in relation to this matter and as a consequence we think it is our duty to inform" all relevant parties of the basis of these measures, according to MVR spokesman and former National Assembly president Willian Lara.

Lara denied that there had been any government involvement in the decisions and that they were taken independently by the Venezuelan judiciary.

www.dw-world.de   There have been explosions in the Spanish Embassy and a Colombian consulate the Venezuelan capital Caracas, the Reuters news agency reports. There were no immediate reports of injuries and it was not clear what had caused the explosions. However, the incident comes soon after a scathing television attack by President Hugo Chavez on both Spain and Colombia, accusing them of interference after Venezuelan police arrested a prominent strike leader who had been campaining to have Mr. Chavez removed from office.

news.ft.com By Andy Webb-Vidal in Caracas Published: February 25 2003 4:00 | Last Updated: February 25 2003 4:00

A pact condemning political violence, signed last week by the government of Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez and opposition leaders, appeared to be breaking down yesterday as opponents threatened to withdraw from the accord.

Opponents of Mr Chávez, grouped in the "Democratic Co-ordinator", warned they could rescind their side of the agreement unless the international community pressed the government into upholding the accord.

The warning follows the house arrest of Carlos Fernández, head of the Fedecamaras business federation, who was captured by armed security police in a heavy-handed midnight raid last week.

Mr Fernández is facing charges of "criminal instigation" and "civil rebellion" for his role in co-leading a two-month strike in December and January aimed, unsuccessfully, at pressing for early elections and forcing Mr Chávez's resignation.

"If the international community does absolutely nothing and the government does not uphold its side of the agreement we will withdraw," said Timoteo Zambrano, an opposition negotiator in talks facilitated by the Organisation of American States (OAS).

No outside sanctions were agreed as part of the accord, but opponents of Mr Chávez had hoped members of a six-nation "Group of Friends" would be able to lend diplomatic weight to reinforce the OAS-sponsored agreement.

The group - consisting of Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Portugal, Spain and the US - was formed in January to give fresh impetus to a four-month-old but virtually fruitless effort by the OAS to broker an electoral solution to the country's political deadlock, which has on several occasions spilled over into violence.

However, in a sign that Mr Chávez is willing to put already cool diplomatic relations on the line to deflect outside pressure, he has bluntly warned both the OAS and the "Group of Friends" not to interfere in domestic affairs.

Speaking on his weekly Alo, Presidente television show on Sunday, Mr Chávez accused both the US and Spain of taking sides with his opponents, who charge that the populist president and former paratrooper is governing like a dictator.

Government spokesmen from the US and Spain, and César Gaviria, secretary-general of the OAS, have expressed concern at the handling of Mr Fernández's case.

However, the Fedecamaras chief has said he was treated with due respect by the authorities.

www.voanews.com VOA News 24 Feb 2003, 22:51 UTC

The United States is urging Venezuela's government and opposition to uphold a recent agreement that calls for an end to political violence and confrontational remarks.

State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said Monday in Washington that "heightened political rhetoric" has contributed to acts of violence in Venezuela in recent days.

Mr. Reeker also urged the government in Caracas and its opponents to continue the political dialogue being facilitated by the head of the Organization of American States, Cesar Gaviria.

Meanwhile, President Chavez has warned the world to stop interfering in his country's affairs. He has criticized the United States, Spain and Colombia for siding with his opponents.

The United States last week criticized Venezuelan authorities for arresting business leader Carlos Fernandez He helped organize a two-month nationwide general strike that failed to oust Mr. Chavez.

Mr. Fernandez is now under house arrest. He faces charges of civil rebellion and and criminal indictment for helping lead the walkout. Another strike leader, Carlos Ortega, went into hiding after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On Sunday, a police officer was shot dead and at least five others wounded in an ambush in Caracas. Some police officials say they suspect supporters of President Hugo Chavez were responsible because of tensions between the police force and central government.

www.sfgate.com CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer Monday, February 24, 2003

(02-24) 15:04 PST CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) --

Every night for two months, Venezuelans knew where to find Carlos Ortega. The labor leader was sure be standing before cameras in Caracas, predicting the imminent downfall of President Hugo Chavez.

"The dictator's days are numbered," Ortega would thunder at his news conferences, flanked by business leader Carlos Fernandez.

Now Ortega, the leader of the strike that failed to oust Chavez, is in hiding, charged with treason and rebellion. Fernandez, accused of similar crimes, was seized by federal agents last week and is under house arrest.

Chavez wants both men sentenced to at least 20 years in prison for inflicting pain and suffering on Venezuelans with a strike that crushed the economy.

"See how the others are running to hide," he mocked in a speech after Fernandez's arrest.

Hiding is uncharacteristic of Ortega, the most visible and pugnacious of Chavez's opponents. He is the only government opponent to claim a measure of victory against Chavez since the leftist president was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000.

As president of Venezuela's biggest oil workers union, Fedepetrol, Ortega led a four-day strike in 2000 for back pay and a collective contract for 20,000 workers. Chavez ceded on both counts.

Ortega subsequently rose to the top of the Venezuelan Workers Confederation, or CTV, which boasts 1 million members. In a bid to grasp control of the labor movement, Chavez called a nationwide election for CTV leaders over the protests of the International Labor Organization, which argued union elections were a private matter.

Since then, though, Ortega hasn't been so successful against Chavez.

Last year, he joined his labor forces with Fedecamaras, the leading business chamber, and convoked a general strike in April 2002 to support striking oil workers. Workers were upset with Chavez's intervention in Venezuela's semiautonomous state oil monopoly.

Ortega urged thousands to march on Miraflores, the presidential palace. Nineteen people died during the march, which prompted a two-day coup.

Chavez returned to power when an interim government composed mostly of business executives abolished Venezuela's constitution. Ortega seethed on the sidelines.

Ortega was last seen in public Wednesday, a day after a warrant for his arrest was issued. Alfredo Ramos, executive secretary of the CTV, said Ortega is moving from safehouse to safehouse.

"He will stay underground because there is no guarantee for his physical safety. He's received numerous death threats," Ramos said.

Ortega's whereabouts have become a national obsession. Rumors have put him in Aruba, Colombia or in remote ranches on Venezuela's vast central plains.

"He probably left the country already, but that bandit could be anywhere," said Ramon Ramirez, a construction worker who supports Chavez.

The latest strike, which ended Feb. 4 in all but the oil industry, cost Venezuela more than $4 billion, created shortages of food and medicines, and forced the world's fifth-largest oil exporter to import gasoline.

The strike focused attention on Venezuela's simmering political crisis but failed to bring about either early elections or Chavez's ouster.

The future of talks mediated by Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States, is in doubt.

Chavez responded angrily Sunday to foreign critics of the charges against the two strike leaders. He directed warnings at some members of a "Group of Friends" initiative created to bolster the negotiating process.

"Don't mess with our affairs!" Chavez said, singling out Gaviria, the United States, Spain and Colombia.

Opposition representatives on Monday sent a letter to Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, coordinator of the "Friends" group, calling for an urgent meeting to discuss "the worsening of the Venezuelan situation."